Once Upon a December
by DeyoChan
Summary: The very first time the Fire and Love Senshi meet was sweet to remember. Let's read the story about the time certain seven year old blonde ran away from her parents and by coincidence get to meet the most important person in her whole life: Hino Rei. [fluff, sweet...very endearing.] NOTE: They're kids in this FF, Rei is 7 and Minako is 8 y/o.


_**WARNING:** _

_Just be prepared for a super endearing and fluffy story. A bit sad but still super sweet._

 _Thank you YuriChan220 for taking the risk of BEting this story for me! Not enough words to thank you!_

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 **"Once upon a December"**

 **By:** DeyoChan

….

It was a cloudy and rainy day. The atmosphere surrounding her felt thick and wet, the little one could hardly breathe, she was trying to hold back the sobs that pester her throat at the sight of her mother's last stop. This place was nothing like what she recalled her mother asked for to be buried in. Despite the beauty the graveyard's ground gave away covered in a dense layer of white snow that sad day of December, this was a Christian cemetery and her mother was a Shinto believer.

The trip passed in silence and she eventually listen her granfather call for her and helping her to get off the luxurious black car. She could never understand why her mother's new resting place has to be so far from her beloved Shrine, her spiritual beliefs. This place was full of crosses and epitaphs after what happened to be the temple of the believers of _only one god_.

She walked silently by her grandfather's hand, she wanted to hold her father's hand instead but he remained girded by important –and annoying- people walking by his side of her mother's coffin. Her father was surrounded by people she had never seen before. It was impossible for her to approach him.

The little black-haired girl, wondered silent while walking, for the last request her mother made her, the last words she heard her repeat night after night in the lonely hospital wing when the two of them were alone: _Search the light Reiko. It will bring you the most pure and beautiful love, that people like us, those who can see the colored auras of others would expect. The one you see lacks color in her aura, the one that's impossible for you to feel their emotions, their will bring you the main joy to your life. Understand them, do not judge. Sustain them, not repress. But most of all ... let yourself love with the same intensity that you love, my child._

The girl gently let go the grip of her grandfather's hand once they both said their goodbyes for the last time to her mother. People began to crowd around her and her father again. She decided to wander among the people; she did not want to be photographed with her father at the foot of her mother's the grave in such a heartbreaking moment.

She drifts between the graves and crypts without thinking where she was going. Some graves looked more forsaken than others. She left the tumult behind her heading to the entrance to the sanctuary of the _god of the crosses_ , the one she had learn about at school. The term 'god of the crosses'; at school had gotten her in several troubles with the nuns.

Her name was Hino Rei, and she glanced behind her shoulder once more before entering the church gateway and saw her father receiving condolences, surrounded by reporters asking private things about his future political plans. Amethyst eyes rolled annoyed at his father's actions and she delved into the strange but familiar place.

The colors and images on the walls caught her attention as walking through what she knew was the corridor to the important cross. Figures of people, some landscapes, colored murals; some thick candles, more crosses over what she remembers was the altar. _Everything here's very beautiful, much more beautiful and spacious than in T.A's chapel_ , she thought.

Stopping short, near the end of the seats in the front row, her attention was captured by a petitte blonde girl with a thick sand-colored jacket, a few darker shades of blond than her hair. The blonde was ducked sitting between the seats tones. Apparently the little blonde was crying and she was wipping her rebel tears annoyed.

The black-haired girl did not understand why but that blonde girl, among all the people who had known scarce eight years of life, was the only one so far that hadn't immediately struck her with the wave or emotions through her aura. _But she's crying, and she is evidently upset,_ she thought watching her clean her puffy cheeks fiercely, _Why can't I feel what's overwhelming her?_

She focused several times on the blonde but she could not see the color of the aura that she was supposed to be surrounding her, _We all have aura!_ She mused.

Immediately her mother's last words returned to her head, _The one with the lack of color n its aura..._ The light? _Oh, Her aura has no color!_ Her mind began to make the connections.

"H-hello," Rei said cautiously approaching the blonde.

The little blonde raised her face, shocked; she seemed to be hiding from someone. She had barely listen a word and she hop to her feet in front the unknown girl looking around her anxiously making sure no one were watching them.

Confused, the black-haired girl did what her mind advices her was the appropriate thing to do, "Hi, I'm Reiko, Why are you crying?" she ask softly to her companion, unconsciously she used the nickname her parents gave her. Her name was Rei not Reiko.

The blonde, immediate cleans her tears away muttering a 'shh' gesture with her finger on the lips to the girl in front of her, said girl nodded and follow suit. Looking around with haste, the blonde took Reiko's hand in hers taking the girl with her towards the cabin at the side of the court.

Reiko nodded and let herself be guided but not before follow the blonde frowning slightly, _Who does this blonde think she is? Didn't she know whose daughter I am? Yeah, most likely she doesn't know who I am,_ she thought.

The pert blonde girl placed one of her hands on Reiko's lips, while paying attention to their surroundings from inside the priest's cab looking through the small window that was over her head, "Mina, I-I'm Mina," the blonde said finally removing her hand from Reiko's lips, "- I'm really sorry about all the secrecy." Distressed blue eyes finally looking at Rei's.

The raven-haired girl watched her silently, with her head slightly cocked before the blonde, _She's very cute._ She smiled to herself.

Beautiful blue-eyes were clouded by tears; she has bright blonde hair length that was below the shoulder. Red and flushed cheeks that resemblance of bitterness, Rei could bet that it rivaled her own bitterness at that time. The blonde leaned heavily against the wall behind her in the narrow place and then slide over this falling to the ground in sitting lotus position.

Noticing her strange behavior, the raven-haired girl asked softly, "Who are you hiding from?" She asked sitting in front of her slowly, holding her knees close to her chest while observing the other girl with interest, chin resting on her knees.

"My parents." the blonde muttered bitterly.

Cocking her head, the raven-haired girl wanted to understand, but the girl in front of her did not give many details, "I see, ar-are they Okay?" She asked somewhat uncomfortable to watch her mourn again.

Shaking her head the little blonde raised her knees to her chest resting her forehead on this starting to sobs again. Rei felt something inside her crack and she did something unthinkable for her so far: carefully knelt beside Mina giving her a hug. Surrounding her with her arms by the shoulders, resting her forehead against her left temple whispering, "Everything will be fine Mina, you'll see."

The little blonde stiffened at the touch but immediately fell into the hug, hiding her wet face in the heavy coat above the shoulder of the small black-haired nodding at her kind words. They stayed in that position for a couple of minutes until Rei slowly pulled away from her while stroking her forearms in a reassuring gesture sitting at the blonde's right.

As if she knew her for a lifetime, the little black-haired slides her left arm around the blonde inviting her to rest her head against her shoulder... Mina complied silently accepting the sweet offer hugging Rei by the waist.

"My parents are no longer together, they are going to divorce," Mina whispered breaking the silence, "-I cried because in a couple of days, mom and I, we'll go to U.K. uhh, London I think... she's got a job there." She said.

The blonde, startled, suddenly remembers something and jumps away from her companion touch on her body. She raised her hands in front of her big blue-eyes staring at them with amazement, and then she turned her gaze to the girl in front of her.

Scowling, the black-haired girl asks with caution, "Wh-What is it Mina?"

Without saying a word the blonde once again approaches Rei placing on her cheeks both of her hands. The brunette watches her silently assessing her movements; she was beginning to feel uneasy by the closeness of the blonde when a bright grin blooms on the blonde's face.

"You're the first person who touches me and I cannot feel your emotions pile up in my head or chest." She mumbled removing her hand from Reiko's cheeks. Still smiling surprised.

At that moment something came into Rei's memory, the idea of a girl with no aura and the inability to feel her emotions. Mina's words forced her to think deeply, "Err, sorry, did you say that people's emotions overwhelm you when you touch them?"

Huffing and shrugging, the blonde gives her an irritated look, "Yes I just said that. Are you going to call me a freak too?" She asked frowning defensively.

Rei watched her carefully, cocking her head again. Gesture that the blonde thought was endearing, "Why should I? It's not nice to be called that. I don't like being called like that by the girls at my school."

That phrase full of bitterness, as if she understood what it felt like to be called by that horrendous name, caught Mina's attention, "Th-they have called you a freak too? But you- I mean not offense," she watched Reiko with renewed interest, "-but you look to me very ordinary."

A small giggle slipped out from the black-haired's lips, "Uhm, thanks." She said smiling nervously and scratching the back of her neck.

Shaking her head, clearing her ideas, Mina had calmed down and became interested in the girl in front of her, "Why are you crying, Um…Reiko-chan?"

Nodding with a forced smile, Rei explained, "I came to say goodbye to my mommy… for the last time."

Minako nodded silently inviting her to continue, but Rei downcast her eyes. Immediately the little blonde understood, "Oh, I'm so sorry." Rei nodded wordlessly, "Shouldn't you be with your daddy and family where goodbye are say, out there I mean." She said pointing to the area where she remembered the cemetery was.

Completely ignoring the question and quick analysis of the blonde, Rei decided to change the subject, "I wouldn't call you freak because they call me like that at school," she frowned remembering, "I understand how the others emotions can overwhelms your own skin... it happens to me when I'm staring at people. I can see the color of their emotions, the color of their aura and feel it. If it is too strong what they're feeling… sometimes it completely envelops me and I-"

"-end up fainting." said Mina while Rei said the same.

Both girls were silent looking at each other with wide eyes, blue meeting amethyst. At the end the blonde smiled amused.

"Wow, you are more interesting than you look, Reiko-chan," she said cocking her head.

A chuckle left Rei's lips, "You know, I haven't had this fun talking to anyone the last few months Mina-chan." she said thoughtfully.

"You don't talk to anyone else?"

Shaking her head, Rei exhaled heavily, "More accurately I haven't talk to other children in a long time... I have no siblings," she muttered standing up, reaching out to the blonde with her left hand, smiling softly, "-your parents are coming for you, it doesn't matter how angry they look like. They're both worried for you Mina, you are lucky… they both love you." The blonde keep eyeing Rei while she talks, "My grandfather is looking for me too, better him than my father..." she said answering the blonde's unspoken question, "-this is the other reason why the other girls call me like that... because I can see things that are about to happen." She whispered tucking her hands into the front pockets of her thick black coat.

Standing up, thanks to Rei's help, the blonde smiled at her again, "I like you." She said suddenly clasping her arm with her new friend's left one walking towards a bench in front of the to the chuch's entrance, "You're very smart, and very pretty Reiko and you have a pretty laugh."

Taking a seat in the bench opposite the chuch's exit, Rei nodded shyly, "I also like to meet someone with the same strangeness as me." She replied, Mina gave her an amused look between faithless and slightly irritated, "What? It is true!"

Mina's raucous laughter echoed in the large chapel. Rei smiled at the reckless but welcomed laughter of her companion, "Too bad we cannot see each other again." said the blonde. Shaking her head, Rei fidgeted frowning upset, somewhat disturbed and calling Mina's attention, "Reiko-chan, what's wrong?"

"It's my father... he's looking for me."

"And it isn't a good thing that your daddy is looking for you?" Tears piled up in Rei's amethysts eyes again, "Is he a bad daddy?"

A tired sigh was Rei's little response, "Bad... nope, at least no in a bad way I guess. He doesn't scold me or yell at me if that is what you say, rather he..." she sought the right words, "He pretty much ignores me."

"He must love you very much Reiko-chan," said the blonde convinced.

Rei snorted smiling ironically; "I'm not sure about that anymore." Mina looked at her without understanding, "I heard him once talking to my grandfather. Seems I will no longer live with papa at home. I will have to leave for a while and live at the shrine at my grandfather's, the one good thing is that is the same place where my mommy grew up. "

Without understanding her new friend father's reasons, Mina asked, "Did you do something wrong to upset your daddy that bad and that's why he want to leave you with your grandfather?"

Closing her eyes tightly, the brunette tried to remember if at any time during the time she spent next to her mother at the hospital she did something to upset her father at that degree. Finally, without finding a reason for it, she shook her head wiping a tear from her left cheek.

The blonde was about to say something else but was startled at the hearing of quick steps down the entrance. It was an old man of medium height with his head covered by a discreet black hat and was wearing a black suit as well, "Oh-Kami, here you are Reiko." He hurried kneeling next to the girls, hugging Rei.

The old man looked really worried.

"Relax granddaddy, I got distracted because I found a new friend," she said, pointing at the blonde, "Mina-chan this is my granddaddy, granddaddy she is Mina-chan." Rei introduced them.

"Nice to meet you darling," the old man said in a chivalrous gesture kissing Mina's right hand making the small blonde giggle, "Reiko we have to go back... your papa,-" He didn't get to finish his sentence when Rei interrupted him sighing.

"'I know, the press." Said irritated, turning at her friend she added shyly, "Mina-chan, if one day you come back to Japan..." the blonde smiled nodding, "-you could always come and meet me at my grandfather's..."

Strong steps and a couple of voices arguing could be heard argue heatedly and Mina couldn't hear the place or location of the Shrine she had heard Rei mention a few seconds ago. Her parents seemed to be arguing more fiercely when they entered the church and found at her.

A tall, short-haired blond man threw his arms into the air in an exasperation gesture raising his voice to the blonde woman that entered right behind him, she was holding in her arms a small white furred animal. The woman stood a couple of steps away from Mina's father, she answers him in the same uncomfortable and annoyed tone.

Rei's grandfather mumbled something about family feuds and their privacy as he pulled Rei's hand leading their way back to the cemetery.

Mina watched, disappointment in her eyes, her parents noticing her presence. HEr father began to scold her harshly, she was about to break in tears again when the little black-haired voice echoed in her head, _"Everything will be fine Mina, you'll see... Smile, you have a beautiful smile."_

Smiling towards the exit, Rei's grandfather urged her to follow him behind the slightly door ajar. Mina watched the brunette's huge grin nodding at her waving her hand in the air saying goodbye. Immediately, the blonde replied waving back her little hand in the air muttering with her lips, _I will see you again Reiko, I promise._

Mina's father frowned noticed that he was being ignored by his daughter.

Mina's mother stood in front of her smiling softly, holding out the dozing white furred puppy cat she was carrying for Mina, "You must take care of Artemis, he's still a puppy, he can get lost-," the blonde woman said softly handing her the kitten, "Who were those?" she asked looking Rei and her Grandfather's direction.

Mina shrugged without answering, stroking softly behind the kitten's chin who began to purr happily at the caress. She adjusted her hold on Artemis with one hand and, with her free she took her mother's in hers trying to follow the path his father quietly marked to the exit in the opposite section on the church.

A huge smile lit up Mina's face of at the thought of what the wind let her listening; a sweet rustle was made only to hear by her ears. Reiko's voice whispered beautiful and encouragement words. Words that became her mantra years after that encounter.

Mina had not yet visited London and she was already counting backwards how many days, months and years she should wait before returning to Japan. She planned secretly return to their home land one day, when she was an adult, free and able to travel by herself...

What she never imagined was that the kitten she had found weeks ago will be responsible for fulfilling her desires to return much earlier than she expected to her home land.

How could she possible imagine that the same cat, as an adult, will help her to gather again with the girl who, because of time, she had forget her face but she'd never forget the beautiful feelings of calmness and warmth that filled her that cold December afternoon simply by looking directly at her with those beautiful amethyst eyes... Reiko's eyes.

 **::FIN::**

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 _Hey Again!_

 _Thank you so much for reading!_

 _Sorry for the grammar mistakes... see im not an english native speaker *blushes*_

 _Hope I'd earned a Review or a MP, you know just to let me know whatcha think!_

 _Let me know what you think about this sweet story in the comments_ _!_

 ** _LATERS!_**

 ** _-DeyoChan_**


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